


as long as i have the sun in your eyes

by CoffeeKristin



Series: private passions and secret storms (aka the all the secrets series) [9]
Category: Hockey RPF, Sports RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-11-06 13:45:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11037411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoffeeKristin/pseuds/CoffeeKristin
Summary: Sunburns, sand in uncomfortable places, tears over lost toys or broken shells, none of it mattered when he had Jonny by his side.





	as long as i have the sun in your eyes

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the first prompt of the [Blackhawks Summer Fic Fest 2017: Parties, Vacations, Trips.](http://coffeekristin.tumblr.com/post/161101119308/blackhawks-summer-fic-fest-2017) It features a completely plotless timestamp of a sappy day at the beach for Jonny, Patrick and their kids. It's been a long time since I wrote in this verse and it makes me happy to revisit them. Unbeta'd and hurriedly posted, probably with tons of tense issues. 
> 
> Title from “Sometimes I'm Happy,” sung by Joni Mitchell.

“Did you pack their goggles?”

“Of course, they’re in the outside pocket.”

“Found ‘em,” Jonny said, digging into the beach bag. “What about - “

“Ammy’s floaties are in the back of the van,” Patrick tried not to snap at Jonny as he finished strapping Charlotte to his chest. Her toothless grin up at him helped him rein in his annoyance. “And the water shoes are right next to them.” _Where they always are,_ he thought but didn’t say.

“Sorry,” Jonny said, sticking his head around the back of the van. “Found ‘em.”

Going to the lake was always worth the effort — watching Eric and Bryan in the waves, Jonny and Ammy splashing at the edge of the water, taking the boys out beyond the surf so they could swim while Jonny stayed on shore with the girls. It was always a ton of fun.

But getting ready to go to the lake? Packing all the usual things his family of six needed when they left the house, plus the boogie boards and the floaties and the life jackets and the water shoes and the sunscreen and — 

It was a just always a lot of work.

“Daddy, are we ready yet?” Bryan asked from where he was sitting on the sand, his life jacket on, a thick layer of sunscreen coating his shoulders and nose. Eric was sitting next to him, identical down to his red, white and blue swim trunks, his gaze fixed on the waves rolling onto the shore with blatant impatience.

“Yeah, baby, we’re ready,” Patrick said, ruffling Bryan’s curls. Jonny had the umbrella and two lawn chairs in one hand, Amelie standing next to him with her little container of sand toys in one fist. Patrick grabbed the diaper bag and pointed at the cooler. “You boys carry that.”

When they’d finally unloaded all the stuff into the area Jonny’d decided was the perfect spot, Patrick collapsed in a heap in a chair. Charlotte was starting to fuss, though, so he had a minute at most to rest before he’d have to get up and find a bottle for her. He put it to good use, though, enjoying the view as Jonny worked quickly and efficiently to put up the umbrella and spread the beach blanket next to the chairs, the muscles in his thighs and butt flexing with his efforts. He was on all fours, anchoring the blanket when he glanced back and caught Patrick staring.

“Enjoying the view?” Jonny drawled.

“Always,” Patrick replied honestly. “It’s a great… big… view.”

“Shut up,” Jonny said, pleased, but then his fell a little. “Not… too big, though, right?”

“Babe,” Patrick leered. “That ass could never be too big for me.”

“It’s just— I haven’t had a chance to work out as much as I usually do this summer, with the new job and the house and everything. I’ve put on a few pounds,” Jonny sat back on his heels, rubbing his stomach self-consciously.

“Jon, you’re perfect and gorgeous and I love you and your huge, perfect, gorgeous ass.” When Jonny just shrugged, pulling at his baseball cap, Patrick sighed. “If you’re not getting enough time to work out, we can fix that. Hell, I’d like to work out more, let’s make it a family thing. We have the double jogger, the boys are getting really good on their roller blades; we’ll make a jog to the park part of the daily routine.”

“When, though?” Jonny said. “I’m not home until after it’s almost dark, Char’s in bed by seven, the boys have sports — “

“The sun doesn’t set until after eight, dinner can be pushed back, and the boys baseball games are only on Tuesdays and Thursdays,” Patrick listed off, heaving himself up so he could knee walk over to Jonny. “This is important and we’re not talking about huge changes. It’s summer. Everyone can stay up a little later, be a little more flexible about their routine.”

“Everyone?” Jonny teased, his face finally relaxing. He pulled Patrick close enough to kiss. “Are you sure _everyone_ isn’t gonna freak if _everyone_ doesn’t have their daughter in bed by seven?”

“I — yes, I can probably keep it together if Char goes to bed at seven thirty,” Patrick said, ignoring the frisson of anxiety in his belly at the idea of Charlotte’s sleep schedule. “We’ll make it a priority to go for a run as soon as you get home at least twice a week, and on Saturday and Sunday.”

“That… could work,” Jonny replied slowly. “And I’ll make sure to be home by five thirty. I can’t promise it’ll always happen, but now that the kids are out of school, I can go in a little earlier on Monday and Wednesday.”

“Perfect,” Patrick replied, leaning in to kiss Jonny again just as Charlotte let out a cry. “Now go boogie board with the boys so I can feed this little queen.” 

“I’ll bring Ammy, too, keep her out of your hair.”

“She’s in her life jacket, right?” Patrick swiveled around to where Ammy was digging in the sand, talking to herself about monsters and princes needing rescuing. “I can watch her, she’s not gonna wanna stop making her castle. Right, Miss Bug?”

“Not a castle!” Amelie said, bat ears on as usual. “It’s a prison!”

Jonny and Patrick’s eyes caught, and Patrick shrugged. “O-kay,” Jonny said, backing away slowly. “I’m gonna let you handle this one.”

“Coward,” Patrick mouthed, laughing as Jonny gave him a double thumbs up. “Dork,” he said out loud. “Your papa is such a dork,” he added to Amelie, who frowned at him.

“Don’t say names, Daddy,” Amelie’s tone was so like her father’s that Patrick had to bite back a grin.

“Sorry,” Patrick nodded. “So, you’re making a prison, huh?”

“For the monsters,” Amelie said, a happy grin chasing away her serious face. She had a gap where her front teeth were supposed to be, the result of walking behind Jonny during a ministicks game last month. The butt of his stick had cracked her right on the mouth, and two teeth for the tooth fairy and a stitched lip later, Amelie had a gap-toothed grin that put Patrick’s to shame. 

Amelie had mostly taken the whole incident in stride; Jonny’d probably cried more than she had. “Don’t be sad, Papa,” Bryan had soothed, patting Jonny’s back. “Yeah, she’s a real hockey player now, Papa,” Eric had chimed in.

“But she’s my baby girl,” Jonny’d whined later in bed, and Patrick had rolled his eyes, even though he understood. “She’s not supposed to get hurt, and I’m definitely not supposed to be the one who hurts her.”

“For the millionth time, it was an accident, Jon, and she’s fine,” Patrick said, rolling Jonny under him and wriggling his eyebrows. “Let’s see if we can’t take your mind off this for ten minutes.”

“I — “

“I mean, if you’re feeling too tired, old man, all you have to do is lie there, and I’ll do the work.”

Jonny’d risen to that challenge beautifully, Patrick remembered, looking over to where Jonny and the twins were splashing in the waves. 

“You sure you don’t want to swim?” Patrick looked down at where Amelie’s pile of sand had grown. She was working on a moat of some sort that was probably going to mean multiple trips to the water in Patrick’s future to fill.

“Not now, Daddy,” Amelie huffed. “The monsters will get away.”

“Of course,” Patrick mumbled, “how silly of me.”

“Silly Daddy,” Amelie agreed.

Charlotte was gulping down the last of her bottle when the boys dropped down onto the blanket next to Patrick’s chair, out of breath and shivering. Jonny passed out towels and took Charlotte so Patrick could cuddle them close until they warmed up. It was only June and Lake Michigan was still freezing, so the boys were practically blue — as was Jonny — but it was already eighty five degrees out, so it didn’t long for them to warm up enough to devour lunch.

“Can we look for shells?” Bryan pleaded when all the lunch stuff had been put away. 

“Maybe Papa wants to go,” Patrick said, looking over to where Jonny was playing with Charlotte, trying to keep her on the beach blanket and out of the sand, which wasn’t easy with a baby who was constantly trying to crawl away. 

Jonny shook his head. “It’s your turn, babe,” Jonny said. “I need time with my girls.”

“Come on, Daddy,” he added, pulling on Patrick’s hand. 

“Maybe later, guys. I just finished lunch!” Patrick said. 

“But Dad!” Bryan complained before Eric interrupted him.

“I bet I find the biggest shell,” Eric said.

“I bet I find the prettiest shell,” Bryan returned. “Big isn’t as important as being pretty.”

“It is, too,” Eric replied hotly. “It’s more important!”

“Is not!”

“Boys, enough arguing or we’re not looking for anything,” Patrick said.

“Does that mean you’ll take us?” Bryan asked, peering up from under his lashes.

“Fine,” Patrick said, unable to say no to Bryan’s pleading eyes.

“Oh ho,” Jonny chortled from the blanket, lifting Charlotte above his head and zooming her around. “Guess who just got beat by his own game?”

“Shut up,” Patrick said, but he was grinning, too. “Boys, I’ll take you but we’re only bringing home _one_ shell each.” When Bryan opened his mouth to protest, Patrick narrowed his eyes. “Or none.”

“One is good, Dad,” Eric said, elbowing Bryan in the side. “One is fine.”

“Uh huh,” Patrick said, unconvinced that they weren’t going to try to negotiate — or sneak — extra shells. “Let’s go find the perfectly large and beautiful shells.” Before he finished speaking the boys were already off the blanket, walking toward the edge of the water. 

“Good luck,” Jonny grinned, moving Charlotte’s sandy fist away from her mouth. 

“Back at you,” Patrick replied, looking at Amelie. “Wanna go find a special treasure for your castle? Ur, your prison?”

“Okay, Daddy,” Amelie said, patting sand around one of the “prisoners” until all that was visible was his head. “I be right back,” she instructed the mounds inside of her moat. “Don’t move.”

“Papa will keep an eye on them, make sure they don’t go anywhere,” Patrick laughed. 

“Don’t forget,” Amelie said sternly to Jonny before toddling off to join her brothers.

“Have fun,” Jonny said as Patrick stood. He was walking away when he heard a wolf whistle from the blanket.

“You were right,” Jonny called when Patrick turned to look at him in disbelief, his cheeks flaming. “The view from here is amazing.”

Patrick huffed and turned back around, before wiggling his ass very deliberately. Jonny hooted, and the sound of his laughter lingering even as Patrick reached the edge of the water. When he looked back, Jonny wasn’t looking at him anymore, but was lying flat on his back, Charlotte over his head, swooping her side to side before lowering her quickly to his chest, then back up again. She was shrieking with laughter, wriggling in his grip, and it made Patrick’s heart clench with how much he loved them both.

“All done,” Amelie said from next to him, tugging on his hand. “See? Found shell!” She walked back to the blankets, dropping down to place the shell at the top of the tallest mound. She pulled another figure out of the little bag of toys she’d brought with her, kissing it on the head before pushing it into the sand and burying it.

“She’s so weird,” Patrick says fondly, and Jonny barked out another laugh.

“Have a nice walk with our boys,” Jonny said.

“Have fun with Char and the prison warden,” Patrick replied.

“We’re gonna take a nap, right _petite reine?_ ” Charlotte burbled at him before settling onto his chest as he bundled her into her wrap. “Sleep a little so Papa can help Ammy, hmm?”

“Don’t need help,” Amelie protested with a scowl.

“Fine, fine, I’ll just supervise if you don’t need anyone to help dig the biggest hole ever,” Jonny said innocently.

“Dig?” Amelie’s frown deepened then cleared. “Here, Papa.” She handed him a trowel and pointed to a large area next to the mound of sand. “Make biggest hole ever.”

“The biggest,” Jonny assured her.

When Patrick and the boys returned forty-five minutes later, Jonny and Amelie were sacked out in the lounge chair, Charlotte asleep in the pack-n-play he must have retrieved from the car. Re-sunscreening the boys and himself quickly, Patrick dropped into the other chair. He dug into the cooler for a beer, taking a long drink. 

The icy-cold liquid burned pleasantly as he swallowed and he let himself melt into the chair, a pleasant buzz already taking hold. He didn’t let himself doze off, just contented himself idly watching the boys sword-fight in the surf with sticks they’d found on their walk. He’d just opened a second beer when Jonny reached for his hand.

“Nice walk?”

“Mmm hmm,” Patrick returned, passing Jonny the beer. “It was a great idea to come out here today.”

“Glad you’re enjoying it,” Jonny said. “Worth all the extra effort?”

“Always,” Patrick said. “Now give me back my beer, you mooch.”

Jonny handed the bottle back, keeping hold of Patrick’s hand after. They stayed like that, fingers entwined, content to enjoy the quiet while their girls asleep and their boys wade in the surf. It only lasted for ten minutes before Charlotte woke up, cranky and hot. Her cries disturbed Amelie, who started wriggling on Jonny’s shoulder. She’d just settled back to sleep when Bryan started screaming at Eric for stealing his shell.

“Divide and conquer?” Jonny asked, sliding out from under Amelie. He arranged her on the lounge and patted her back until she settled again, then handed Charlotte to Patrick before running off to break up the fight between the twins. 

“Just another day at the beach,” Jonny said when they were on their way home, all four kids sleeping behind them.

“Just another great day at the beach,” Patrick corrected, and Jonny laughed quietly, grabbing his hand again.

“Just another great day with you,” Jonny said, bringing their joined hands to his mouth and kissing Patrick’s knuckles.

“Back at you, babe,” Patrick said around a sudden lump in his throat.

Patrick wouldn’t hate it if going to beach was simpler, required less work, even just less _stuff_ , but as long as these trips included Jonny, they were always worth the effort.

Sunburns, sand in uncomfortable places, tears over lost toys or broken shells, none of it mattered when he had Jonny by his side.


End file.
